Maisie Williams' New App Can Help You Land A Job in the Arts

Between a lack of funding, declining job markets, and often our parents' insistence on pursuing the likes of law, science, and medicine, creative industries have long been considered risky career paths. But Game of Thrones’ Maisie Williams, Winterfell's fiercely relentless Arya Stark, hopes to change that with her upcoming mobile app Daisie.

Slated for an August release, the app, created alongside film producer Dom Santry, aims to provide an entry point into the industry for budding and seasoned artists alike.

“I want creative industries to be seen as a serious career decision, and I also want it to be easy for creators to be paid fairly,” Maisie tells Teen Vogue. “Our main focus is on community and closing the gap between experienced creators and people just starting out.”

The platform allows artists to showcase their portfolio, connect with leaders in their field through designated question periods, share work opportunities, and bring raw ideas and projects to fruition. Aiming to divert emphasis on "lifestyle" and "popularity," which commonly launch influencers to fame on apps like Instagram, the Daisie founders made it their mandate to not include follower counts so users can find success based on the merits of their work alone.

Networking platforms like LinkedIn have become oversaturated with job seekers from every industry — ultimately muffling creative voices — while Facebook has become riddled with targeted ads. Daisie aims to provide both a relevant built-in audience, and support system, and to start, an ad-free experience.

“I think strength comes through numbers, and creating a talented community will represent the various creative industries in the best possible way. It’s also difficult for genuine connections to be made, even though we all share a common passion for the creative arts,” Maisie says.

Many starting out in creative fields face the common practice of being offered “exposure” in lieu of payment, which some employers view as absolution for not paying for the art from which they benefit. But Daisie works to combat the issue by building a “creator-first” network. “Exposure can be hugely beneficial, but also limiting,” Maisie says. “Our end goal is to develop a way that all creators can receive fair compensation for their work, which is something that isn’t happening right now."

Now that Game of Thrones is set to wrap up in 2019, Maisie's ready to take her strong work ethic elsewhere. "When I first met Dom, he out of the blue asked me if I had ever wanted to direct or produce a movie. This wasn't something I'd ever really been asked before but is definitely something I'd thought about. He's been pushing me to work harder and aim higher ever since," she says, which explains why two film fanatics are now developing an app.

Whether you paint, draw, dance, act — or even dabble in app creation like Maisie — there are no strict guidelines you need to meet in order to join the network, or even launch an app of your own. "Do it," she says. "We’ve got everything to play for. Ignore any negativity you may face and focus on yourself and what you want to do.”